Among the crows
by MizzW
Summary: A Naruto AU: Naruto, A freshly graduated high school student has been approved to his dream college. the conservatory for film in Los Angeles. but isn't it a shame that Los Angeles has a very active crime scene in which Naruto, not entirely on accident, gets involved. (First chapter of my first ever fic, reviews are very welcome, also let me know if you'd read another chapter) :)
1. Chapter 1

He walked out of the classroom. The sheet with the assignment, which he had read through at least three times now, and he was starting at the top again for a fourth, in his hands. His brand new videocamera burned on his back, ready to be used. Naruto would often go back in time to find himself at high school, exclaiming how he'd be the best director in history, they'd see, and they'd regret ever laughing at him when they would leave the cinema, mouths still agape from the glamor they had just witnessed.

Now he was one step closer. He'd laugh in their faces, because he had been approved by Los Angeles' finest film institute. Namely, The American Film Institute Conservatory in Hollywood's Griffith Park. It was the only existing Master of Fine Arts conservatory in advanced film education. And he had been approved! If he would make it through his first year, doing well, he was told he would probably make it through the whole education. After that he would get snatched up by the industry itself, always looking for new, talented recruits.

He read the assignment top to bottom again. They were to make a short film. Twenty minutes to be precise, that would move the audience and inspire them to think of a way to better the world. Naruto wrecked his brain for a subject, but it wouldn't come to him so soon. He'd think of something though, he mused. It'd hit him hard over the head, he was sure.

He left the building, noticing how chilly it had become after the dark set in. His classes ran late, and even though he was a capable young man, he still found it was eerie to walk the streets on his own with an expensive looking camera strapped to his back. He shoved the paper in his pocket along with his hands and upped his pace. His apartment was luckily on walking distance (another spark of luck that he had been able to rent that.) But it wasn't in the nicest of neighborhoods, and that fact began to doom over him after dark. Hurriedly he made his way down the street passing the dark alleys the main street was laid along.

He was ultimately set on getting home as quickly as possible, so he stopped looking into the passing alleyways, rushing. He shouldn't have done that.. Because now he didn't see the wooden board emerging from the dark. A shot of pain went through his head as he stumbled and fell back. His hand instinctively went up to his head, either to assess the damage or protect from further harm. Dark chuckles surrounded him and hooded figures stepped out from the alley.

One of the attackers slapped the wood against his flat hand and smiled at Naruto, as if he had just met an old friend. _"You must be new here.."_ As much as he didn't want to admit it, the voice was entrancing. Deep and confident. _"Let me introduce us. We are The Crows, we rule this region."_ The young man was a couple years his senior, but his companions seemed Naruto's age. One of them a girl with striking red hair, couldn't be natural, and the other he couldn't quite make out. He was too deeply hidden inside his hood. _"My name is Uchiha Itachi, and we thought we'd give you a warm welcome." _The leader (he assumed) told him, pointing the board at him as if he expected him to do something with it. _"Come on.. Take it." _He ushered, the same faint smile on his face. Confused, with an ache in his head and a slight panic in his heart, Naruto grabbed on to the plank. The male, named Itachi, pulled him to his feet. _"Now.. I've noticed you have quite the equipment there." _he observed. Immediately Naruto cursed himself for jinxing it. They would definitely take it. That thing was worth a fortune. But he wasn't going to go down without a fight!

It must have showed in his body language because Itachi set the board down to his side, leaning on it. _"We're not interested in it, don't worry about that. We will just need a name, and some sort of toll, for the fact that your face is still in place."_ His eyes had turned less friendly, cold even, and fear struck Naruto again. Three against one (even if one of them was a girl) was not something he'd get out of unharmed. He'd have to comply.

"_It's Naruto.. Uzumaki, Naruto." _Itachi's eyebrows raised. _"That wouldn't happen to be Japanese would it?"_ He asked, and seemed genuinely interested. Naruto hesitated. Now that he looked closer, they all seemed to have an Asian type of look. This could be some sort of Asian gang.. If so, this could hardly be the full amount of members. He would be wise not to get deeply involved. _"It is.."_ He confirmed hesitantly after a silence in which the girl had stepped closer, looking at him insistently. The other companion had turned sideways, seemingly not interested in this conversation at all. He grabbed inside his pocket making all three of them go into a defensive stance, and got out his wallet. Every penny he had in there he threw their way._ "Here's your toll.. Can I go now?"_

Itachi's smile widened._ "Now, now, Naruto, one would almost think you don't like us, isn't that so, Sasuke?"_ The elder male looked back. The name he had called seemed to belong to the mysterious figure in the back. A simple _"Hn."_ Came as answer. But the figure did remove his hood, if only to take a better look at Naruto. Immediately the thought occurred to Naruto that those two must be brothers. The resemblance was quite noticeable, both attractive, dark haired and mysterious. -Wait, what was he even thinking?- The one named Sasuke's eyes traveled up and down his body, and Naruto immediately felt queasy about it. He felt like a cow at the market, ready to either be sold or slaughtered. The girl spoke up for the first time and Naruto at once decided she was annoying. Her voice carried loud and there was a whine in it. _"Can we go now? He knows our name, we have our tax.. What are we still doing here?" _The leader looked at her sympathetically, though it was obvious it was feigned. _"Karin, please, we're with a customer."_ Naruto had to interrupt, which anyone else would have known was not a good idea to do when facing a possibly dangerous group of gang members. _"Customer?"_ He sounded a bit disgusted, and somehow the younger male seemed to take offense. He lunged forward and grabbed Naruto by the collar of his jacket.

"_This is how it works, brat: You pay your weekly fee, and we'll make sure your face doesn't get any uglier than it already is.."_ His eyes pierced through Naruto as if he could kill him with his stare. Kill him it didn't, terrify him.. A little bit. He saw the black deep darkness of his irises linger on the scars that graced his cheeks. Almost immediately he felt ashamed for them, feeling his cheeks heat up. For God's love he wished he wasn't blushing. Nothing in his attackers' movements, however, gave any indication of it, and the guy currently strangling him continued:_"Do you not pay? You get a little lesson, you go to the police? You get a one way ticket to the bright, white light. Understood?"_ Itachi looked amused, leaning both his forearms on the plank he had hit Naruto with. _"Brother,"_ -So he had been right about that- _"I can always count on you to explain eloquently what we stand for.. But you should release our new friend here. We don't want him to soil his good clothes. Really now."_ Sasuke still held Naruto by his collar and even tightened his grip a little, making Naruto cough out the 'yes' he had wanted to hear. This seemed to displease Itachi, because he got up and turned earnest, his voice raised, he spoke in Japanese to his little brother. _"Sasuke, yamero!"_

Naruto was from Japanese descent, but his knowledge of the language was little. He could make out the meaning of that word though. Itachi told Sasuke to stop. Sasuke obeyed, although begrudgingly and shoved Naruto backward. Naruto brought a hand to his throat and looked, possibly more afraid than he'd like, at the three. _"We'll be going now." _Itachi announced. _"It was nice meeting you, Uzumaki Naruto, you're a new favorite of mine I must say.. We will meet again." _Another one of those faint smiles of which you couldn't tell whether they were real or fake, and he turned to leave. The girl followed suit, spitting on the ground in front of Naruto before leaving. The boy, Sasuke, stood across from him for a while longer, staring him down. Naruto tried to look tough and straightened up. It was so dark now that he could barely make out the black-haired teen's face. But he'd be damned if that wasn't the wickedest smirk he'd ever seen.

Like that he was gone, and the alley was empty. Naruto stood on the sidewalk alone, a couple bucks lighter, but alive. He, only now, felt his legs shaking and he glanced around. Seeing a window where the curtains were quickly closed. _"Bastards, doing nothing."_ He muttered under his breath as he hiked up his jacket and ran the last couple of streets to his apartment. _"Welcome to Los Angeles." _He told himself as he opened the door to his apartment and found himself collapsing on the couch, asleep before he could tell the time.

* * *

He awoke covered in sweat and still fully clothed. He could barely remember which parts he had dreamt and which had been real, so to confirm for himself he pulled out his wallet and found it was empty. On top of that there was a throbbing pain in the front of his head, and it wasn't a hangover. Fuck, it had really happened. He had actually encountered a street-gang and came out alive and mostly unscathed..

But now.. He felt a weird tingling in his stomach, some sort of ache. A want. He had always been a curious guy, someone who wanted to know everything about anything, from head to tail. Give him story to hunt and he'd chase it endlessly. But he had never been a writer, so he had opted for the visual approach. Hence his filming career.

A strange idea came to him, perhaps that board had hit him harder than he thought, but.. This could be a hit, this could put him on the map of great directors in his first year of conservatory. He shook his head no. He could not risk his life like that.. But what was a story without a little danger? He asked himself. And within a split second -he was rash like that- he had made up his mind.

* * *

He found himself that afternoon going around asking questions about the group called 'The Crows'. Whenever mentioned he got a straight up no, or shifty eyes looking around. Apparently they were a big deal. No one would tell him anything. So he went on his way to the darkest alleys he could find, the skate parks too, to find clues. It occurred to him that he might have a bit more success at night, but he didn't want to be _too_ reckless.

Surprisingly, at the first skatepark he encountered, he found a nicely put graffiti work. It was a crow with spread wings, carrying a knife, no not quite a knife, more like a Japanese weapon, a kunai, was that the name? His godfather had shown something like it to him once. (According to him, Naruto's heritage was _very_ important.) With nice lettering the name of the gang was printed beneath. _"THE CROWS"_ In big font, for everyone to see. The skaters present looked at him warily as he studied the piece of art. They had marked their territory here.. Since his encounter with them yesterday Naruto suspected that the gang was strictly Asians. So looking around he found a group who seemed the type, sitting around a battered picnic table. He approached cautiously. And when he was close, they all turned, it almost seemed synchronized, and gave him a look.. If he hadn't set his mind on this he might have ran away right at that moment.

One of the guys stood up, a tall, mean-looking guy with a scars near his eyes, so jagged, it must have been hell getting that. It kind of looked like gills though. _"What you looking for, scrawny?"_ He sneered, huffing a bit as the others laughed and cheered him on.

Naruto made himself strong. _"I'm looking for The Crows.. Know where to find them?" _He said, voice more steady than his legs felt. The tall guy's eyebrows nearly flew off his face. _"Are you sayin' you're actually looking for them?"_ He asked, disbelief obvious, before his demeanor turned back to the harshness it had had before. _"You wanna die, kid?"_

"_Yes, and.. No."_ Naruto fiddled with the zips of his coat. _"I need to speak with Itachi."_ The group stared, actually looking stunned. Then they all started laughing. They had deep voices that carried far, so the whole skate park seemed to fall still to look at them. _"He's funny. I like him."_ The tall guy announced. _"Let's do what he wishes.. Let's take him to Itachi-sama."_ The others' laughs died down into chuckles and multiple nodded, some muttering things under their breath, a couple spoke in Japanese, but he heard one say:_ "I hope Itachi-sama's in a good mood.."_

It didn't do much to strengthen his confidence. Not at all.

"_Listen up, punk!" _The taller guy he had been speaking to addressed him. _"Tonight, half past twelve, the alley behind this park. Ask for Kisame if you get into trouble, Understood?"_ Naruto nodded._ "Now, what's your name, kid?" _And for the second time, against better judgement, he gave his name to a group of gang-members, who possibly had a knife up their socks, ready to kill him at any moment.

"_Uzumaki Naruto." _


	2. Chapter 2

He had pondered and pondered, left his apartment, only to go back again after walking a few streets. But now he had made his final decision, and he walked pointedly towards the location he'd been at the former afternoon: The skatepark. In the dark, it looked very abandoned and a tad bit scary. He walked over to the wall that he knew to have the gang's sign on it. Keeping an eye on his watch -he was ten minutes early- he studied the graffiti piece, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat.

It wasn't until a quarter had past that he heard laughter, getting louder, approaching the site. He stood up straight, making himself seem strong. He fingered the bottle of pepper-spray he had taken with him and bit his lip. He was an idiot. What was he even doing? What did he think to accomplish? But he could not turn back now. A group of young men approached and almost immediately he was spotted. They swaggered over to him, looking tough and mean. Naruto felt fear creep up his spine. Where was the guy he had made the appointment with?

One of the guys, bright orange spikes and a face littered with piercings looked down on him. _"What are you doing here, brat? You lookin' for a fight or something?"_ Naruto shook his head and cleared his throat trying to find his wits. _"N-no I'm looking for Kisame."_ Damn, that stutter. He'd be labeled as 'weak' immediately now. The orange-haired man looked down at him, raising a brow. _"That Kisame thinks he can pull anything, doesn't he? Bein' leader-sama's right-hand man.."_ He scoffed, looking back at the others. Some nodded, some shrugged. One of them warned him not to speak that way of him, calling the guy 'Pain'. That could not possibly be his real name, could it? But he wouldn't have it for no reason either. Naruto swallowed and the attention was back on him.

_"Kisame, huh? And what is your beef with him?" "No beef."_ Naruto assured them, waving his hands in front of him. _"He simply promised to take me to Itachi."_ Silence struck, then, again, laughter erupted. Was It really that strange to ask for an audience with this Itachi-guy?

The man, named Pain, shook his head. _"You have a deathwish, I tell ya. You do realize that you're talking about the leader of this organization, which is known to house the biggest organized crime committers of Los Angeles? There's blood on our hands, and there is one whose hands are forever red and that's Ita-"_ _"Would you shut up, Pain?"_ The voice was familiar enough, even though Naruto had only heard it once before, that afternoon. _"The kid is scared enough as is. I'm surprised he even showed up."_ Kisame grinned, and Naruto noticed how oddly his teeth were shaped. How had he missed that earlier today? He had no time to focus on this though. His escort asked him whether he was ready. Naruto nodded and before he knew it he was hit over the head a second time within a span of twenty-four hours, this time with a metal pipe, and fell to the ground, eyes fluttering shut while surrounded by laughter.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, head banging with pain -Really, he hadn't even recovered from yesterday. He'd suffer chronic head trauma for this- he groaned and saw nothing but darkness. Had he gone blind? His heart jumped and he tried to move his hands to his face, but found they were constricted, as were his legs. Upon closer examination he concluded he was strapped to a chair with a black cloth over his head.

The groan must have been loud enough for someone to hear because suddenly the blindfold was gone and he looked up at another one of those sharklike grins of Kisame. _"Welcome to The Crows' headquarters, punk."_ He shouted, spreading his arms wide to show he meant all of where they were. Wherever _that_ was.. It looked like a huge warehouse, including big wooden boxes with who-knew-what in them aligned to the sides. But inside the building were also a lot of sofa's, a few pool tables, fridges, and in front of him; a big heavy wooden desk, one principles used often, those things with the green felted top. Behind it, in a deep, comfortable chair sat the man he had met in the alley the other day, _Itachi_.

He smiled at him again, honestly, Naruto had seen the smile often enough now to be creeped out by it. _"Uzumaki Naruto."_ Itachi said with a velvet voice. Apparently the head-crow made some sort of gesture because Kisame cut the ties loose and Naruto could move again. _"What brings you to me this fine night. It's a working day you know, I have things to do."_ He pursed his lips and awaited answer. Naruto gathered all his courage, trying to look as sure of his case as he could and spoke up, rubbing his wrists. _"I want in."_ He stated. Itachi tilted his head, seemingly interested. _"In what?" "The gang, I want to be part of it, I want to be a Crow."_ His voice seemed the only noise around, even though everywhere there were still people playing pool, there were still men rolling joints and even a few minor fights being dealt with. Everything seemed dulled in that moment. The moment Itachi looked him up and down, and seemed not to believe him. _"You are sure of this?" "Yes."_ Kisame looked serious, even though Naruto had come to know him as a humorous man, this could not be good, could it?

Itachi stood, hand tracing the side of the dark wood of his desk as he walked around it to stand in front of Naruto. _"I am not stupid, Uzumaki.. What is the ulterior motive?"_ He crossed his arms over his chest and Naruto had to admit that he looked extremely intimidating. Somehow, lying seemed the wrong way to go. _"I want to.. Film you and your crew."_ Itachi's eyebrows raised and a small smirk played at his lips. _"You're an honest man, aren't you, Naruto?"_ He walked back to his desk and sat down, folding his hands together in front of his face. _"That's going to kill you one day."_

There was a long silence and Naruto felt highly uncomfortable. Itachi seemed deep in thought. Then suddenly, his hands fell flat on his desk and he called out. _"Fine! You get to film."_ Had he seriously just.. approved the idea?_ "However.."_ Oh, here it was. _"There will be no police or third parties in any way, we **will** find you if this happens. You are not a member of the gang, and you will be watched at all times. If you give us any reason to mistrust your motives.."_ He drew a finger over his throat and Naruto swallowed thickly in reflex. _"Good. Then we understand each other.."_

Kisame spoke up. _"Itachi-sama.. Is this a smart decision? The guys.. They won't-"_ Itachi interrupted. _"I don't care what the guys think. Think about it Kisame-san, a movie about us. Think of the possibilities, not the risks."_ His eyes sparkled and Naruto felt like he didn't belong in this conversation._ "Now!"_ He was suddenly hauled back from his thoughts. _"Who to anoint as your constant guardian?"_ Itachi pursed his lips and tapped a finger to them. _"Kisame.."_ Kisame frowned and answered with a straight up 'no'._ "I was not going to ask you.."_ Itachi waved his hand dismissively. _"I was going to ask you who you deemed fittest. I was thinking maybe Kakuzu, but we'd have to bribe him.. Hidan is too foulmouthed and Pain didn't seem to like him very much, did he?"_ Kisame shook his head._ "How about your brother?"_ Itachi seemed shocked by the proposal. _"Sasuke? Why..?"_ _"It's about time the kid learned some discipline.."_ Kisame growled. _"He has no respect, doesn't listen to orders, he's a right out rebel. The organization cannot work with him."_ Itachi frowned, but after a while he nodded. _"Fine, perhaps your right. My little brother it is then."_ He sighed. _"He will not be happy.."_

* * *

It may have taken an incredibly awkward twenty minutes, shifting in the chair in Itachi's '_office_' before the gloomy teen appeared. Seemingly uninterested and even annoyed with his brother. _"What is it now, Itachi?"_ Kisame gave him a slap across the head. _"You will adress him with -sama, you uncultured brat."_ He hissed. An electric look from Sasuke's side was aimed at the sharkman -yes, that was Naruto's new nickname for him- _"Otouto.."_ Itachi seemed to ignore what had just happened. _"I have a task for you, and it is important that you actually **try** this time. I know you're skilled, but that does not mean that you're not a part of this community."_ He walked around his desk to wrap an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke's face showed no emotion, even as he was turned to where Naruto was seated. _"This here is Uzumaki Naruto, you remember him, don't you?"_ By the change in the boy's black eyes it seemed he did, but he kept silent. _"Well.. He just announced he wants to be part of the crew."_ At this Sasuke gave his brother an incredulous look. _"I denied him, don't worry.. BUT, he is going to make a movie about us, isn't that grand?"_ Another undecipherable look, now switching between Itachi and Naruto. _"So what does this have to do with me?"_ That voice, it was so dark and fitting for the guy it belonged to. If Naruto wasn't terrified he might have found it attractive.

_"Well..."_ Itachi concluded excitedly. _"You are to be his guide. This is one single task, otouto, I swear. Just perform it, you are part of this organization too."_ His voice had gone strict and Sasuke rolled his eyes. _"I don't want to have this brat on my tail all the time. I'm not a babysitter.." "I am your age you know."_ Naruto told him, fighting the urge to slap a hand over his mouth after blurting something like that. He received a vicious look._ "Now, now, you two.. You'll have a whole lot of time to spend, so don't go biting each other's heads off already."_ Itachi murmured, Kisame chuckled darkly in the background.

_"It is decided and that's that."_ Itachi broke away from Sasuke and sat back down in his chair. _"If you don't fulfill this task, Sasuke.. Even if you are my brother, there will be consequences."_ It still surprised Naruto how perfectly capable the man was in turning such warmth he emitted one moment, into the icy cold he spoke with now.

Sasuke said nothing. And that, Naruto quickly found out, meant defeat against his brother. He had no chance whatsoever to ask anymore questions because again he was knocked unconscious without fair warning, and woke up on the steps in front of his apartment. His watch told him it was half past five, and God, was he lucky it was a saturday. He heaved himself off the steps and dragged his body to his room. His head hurt like hell, and before collapsing on his bed he took some aspirin, wondering if he hadn't by accident made a deal with the devil.


End file.
